Letters to the Editor: Ageism, checks and balances, and home-schooling

June 12, 2012

Out with ageism

I am a long-time subscriber to the Orlando Sentinel, having lived in Orlando almost 25 years. We are well-familiar with Earl Wood and public comments written about him. We send him our checks annually to the Orange County Tax Collector's Office.

I must protest over the "ageist" headline in Saturday's Orlando Sentinel regarding Mr. Wood: "Wood, 95, runs again after filing confusion."

Some could have the take away that his advanced age contributed to the situation. What other public figure is ever identified with his/or her age in the headline? We never read: "Candidate so-and-so, 45, misspeaks on economic issue, etc."

I am 61 years old and I have the joy and honor of reaching out to many "seasoned" citizens. I seek not to have their age label who they are and their capabilities.

Mark Sonderman Orlando

Better to be steered by clowns than madmen

There is a popular circus routine that consists of several clowns: one driving a miniature car, and the others running alongside it guiding the car by hand should it veer too far to the left or to the right.

Such is the state of America's system of checks and balances.

In the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the clown driving the car — Congress — enacted campaign finance reform that tended to veer a little too much to the left. The clown running alongside the car on the driver's side — the Supreme Court — in an attempt to help steer it back on course, pushed the car too far to the right with its ruling in Citizens United.

In response, the clown running along the passenger's side is now trying to push the car back to the left with electioneering disclosure requirements, that is, the DISCLOSE Act.

One unfamiliar with America's triangular distribution of authority might ask: "How can you function under such inefficient governance?"

My answer: "I would rather be ruled by three clowns than by one madman."

Thomas Denny Orlando

Poking logical holes in home-schooling argument

Jack Chambless' guest column Sunday ("Is it time to think about home schooling your child") reminded me that the critics of public education are not limited to the charter school advocates. The home-school proponents, too, join the herd headed for the lifeboats as this once-esteemed institution continues to suffer from neglect and abuse.

Mr. Chambless' narrative had me asking a few questions — largely derived from critical-thinking skills I must have picked up during my own public education.

First, he associates home-schooled American students' performance with the high standards of his Chinese, Eastern European and Indian students over his 21 years teaching economics here. What prevents us from analyzing the way other countries provide their citizens with education and applying those lessons here?

Unless their secret is home-schooling, his argument falls flat.

Second, who's got the time or aptitude to home-school? Mr. Chambless apparently does, and he deserves all the credit in the world. For most of us, however, imparting the joys of differential calculus, organic chemistry and Kierkegaard after the second shift or while making business trips is an impossible task.

Finally, since when is an education a product like sneakers or cereal? If he and others like him would devote as much time and energy to fixing a system designed for the benefit of all citizens, rather than embracing a profit-driven surrogate, we might one day actually be on a par with Beijing, Warsaw and Bangalore.